Tigers can't find comfort zone in loss to Gauchos

STOCKTON - Pacific and UC Santa Barbara engaged in a tense slugfest Saturday evening where neither team seemed to get a shot to drop until the final minute.

Jagdip Dhillon

STOCKTON - Pacific and UC Santa Barbara engaged in a tense slugfest Saturday evening where neither team seemed to get a shot to drop until the final minute.

That's when Travis Fulton hit a 3-pointer for Pacific to finally catch and tie the Gauchos, but Kyle Boswell responded by burying his own 3-pointer from the corner on the ensuing possession. The teams then traded free throws before Lorenzo McCloud got off a poor 3-point attempt at the buzzer as UC Santa Barbara survived with 56-53 victory before 2,744 at Spanos Center.

Coach Bob Thomason liked his team's defensive effort, but said his team dug too deep a hole before halftime, when the Tigers (7-13, 3-5 Big West Conference) shot 5 of 26 from the field, including 4 of 18 from beyond the arc.

"I thought we lost the game in the first half by playing awful basketball," Thomason said. "We were slow and tentative and I don't know why, but after we got over that, I thought we played pretty good basketball. It's too bad we couldn't do that for two halves and get a winnable game."

The game featured two active zone defenses and two teams that couldn't shoot. Seniors Orlando Johnson (13 points), James Nunnally (11 points) and Jaime Serna (15 points, 12 rebounds) made just enough plays to get the Gauchos (11-7, 6-2) the win.

The teams missed a combined 67 of 99 shots, though Nunnally, in his final career college game in his hometown, did provide the television audience on Comcast Sports California with one highlight dunk in the first half. The former Weston Ranch High standout made just 5 of 14 from the field, but did have seven rebounds in 37 minutes.

"It was nice winning here and it'll help us in the long run learning how to close games like this out," Nunnally said.

Pacific is now 0-6 in games decided by five points or fewer, and its execution on the final possession offered an explanation. McCloud, who was the best player on the floor in the second half and finished with 20 points and eight rebounds, didn't get off the pass or shot he wanted.

"We ran the play for (Markus) Duran, but they switched off and messed it up," McCloud said. "When I came off (the screen), I should have shot a regular shot, but I made it tougher than what it was (by double-clutching)."

McCloud didn't have much help on offense as Duran, Travis Fulton and Trevin Harris each scored eight points, but on a combined 7-of-27 shooting. Ross Rivera, who had averaged 15 points and nine rebounds over Pacific's two-game win streak, managed just two points and four rebounds.

"We couldn't get good shots in that first half and we were missing looks we usually hit," Fulton said. "We have to learn that when those aren't going down, we have to be tough and try to get easier buckets. We grinded through the second half and did that."

UC Santa Barbara came into the game averaging 73.1 points per game, so the pace was a surprise to coach Bob Williams.

"I didn't expect it to be in the 50s, but in a game where neither team was shooting it really well, zone defenses are really good," Williams said. "Both teams competed and were physical, and we just gutted out a good win because they kept scrapping and coming back."